Girl dropped on f loor ‘like sack of spuds’

An early childhood teacher is accused of picking up a toddler and roughly throwing her to the ground.

On Thursday, the Education Council disciplinary tribunal was told that on September 1, 2016, the 2-year-old child was in the care of an early childhood centre when she refused to get out of bed.

A witness said the teacher grabbed the girl by the back of her sweatshirt and raised her about a metre off the floor before dropping her. ‘‘She dropped her like you would a sack of spuds.’’

The child, who could not speak full sentences, appeared shocked and soon began to cry.

A teacher who witnessed the event rushed over and asked, ‘‘What are you doing? You don’t treat a child like that’’, before comforting the girl on her lap. The teacher then apologised to the child.

Before the child was dropped, the witness said she walked into the classroom after a lunch break to find the 2- and 3-year-olds ‘‘everywhere’’. ‘‘It was chaotic.’’

It was transition time, and the children were being readied for afternoon tea and nap time.

The teacher who allegedly dropped the child said the incident was ‘‘out of her character’’, and that she ‘‘loved’’ the child but was frustrated at ‘‘working with people that are lazy’’.

She disputed having dropped the child ‘‘like a sack of spuds’’.

The teacher said the child was not harmed, and only began crying when a fuss was made over her by the other teacher.

The teacher admitted she felt stressed, was overwhelmed by her workload and had considered leaving the childhood centre for some time.

Details about the early childcare centre and the teacher are suppressed. The tribunal’s complaints assessment committee expects to come to a decision on the case later this year.